Base-ball apparatus.



A. MCMILLAN.

v BASE BALL APPARATUS.

APILIGATION FILED MAY15, 191s.

Patented Feb.3,1914.

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BASE BALL APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15, 1913.

lPatented Feb. 3,1914.

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BASE-BALL APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented rer. 3, 191s.

Application filed May 15, 1913. Serial No. 767,866.

To all whom t may concern.

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER MCMIL- LAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident ot Chelan, in the county of Ghelan and State of .'Washington, have invented certain new' and useful Improvements in Base-Ball Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.A

This invention relates to apparatus for mechanically pitching a base-ball, and it has for its object to provide a device for automatic'ally returning a base-ball to the batter after it is batted out in batting practice, thus dispensing with the service of fielders as well as pitchers. A

Other objects are to provide for always returning the ball to the same point on the field, that is over theplate or place Where the batter is standing, and for causing the ball to pass over the plate at diierent levels.

A further object is to permit the batter to reset the ball discharging means without leaving his place at the plate and while the ball is being automatically brought into position to be discharged or pitched, whereby the batting may be continued without inter ruption.

The invention will be rst hereinafter described in connection with the acompanying drawings, and then set forth more specifically in the claims at the end of the description.

In the accompanying drawings in which similar reference characters are used to indicate the Same parts throughout the several views: Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of apin accordance with my invention, parts being shown in elevation; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of said apparatus; Fig. 3 is a detailed view on an enof the ball discharging device or kicker and its trip, the same being shown in side elevation, Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the same, the lower end ot the tube and adjacent portion ot the looped track being Shown in dotted lines to more clearly illustrate the lateral offset of said discharging device from behind the tube and track. Fig. 5 is a detail side elevation of a modified form ot discharging or pitching device, and Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of the free end portion of said device.

larged scale Referring more particularly to Figs.- 1 to 5 inclusive, of the drawings, A, A designate the sides of an inclosure arranged in front of the plate B and extending a suitable distance longitudinally and vertically. Said sides are preferably curved slightly, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 and may be made of boards, canvas or other suitable material. Arranged between said sides of the inclosure and terminating just beyond or near the ends of the sides farthest lfrom the plate, is

an inclined plate C extending the full width of the inclosed space and terminating at the t'op in a reverse curve c project-ing over and adapted to deliver the ball onto a cover D for the inclosure, which cover slopes Jfrom all directions to the entrance ot a-tube E. The inclined or elevating plane and the cover may both be made of canvas suitably stretched and secured. The tube E may be of wood or other suitable material, and of a size to permit the ball to pass readily through it. Said tube is inclined slightly rearward, preferably about one inch horizontally to one foot vertically. At the lower end of the tube there is arranged looped or segmental track F substantially U-shaped and of about. one foot radius. Said looped track has its rear portion oiset laterally, illustrated in Fig. 4, and to said rear portion, so as to form a continuation thereof, is hinged the discharging device or kicker G.

The track may consist of a pair of parallel rods f placed about two inches apart and connected together at suitable intervals by bridge members f, Figs. 3 and 4. To one of said bridge members is pivoted a tripping lever H having its upper end extending into the path of the ball as it passes along thtl track onto the discharging device. The lower end of said tripping lever is attached by a flexible or other connection to the lower end of an intermediately lpivoted locking llever K the upper end of which is bert and hooked to engage and normally retain the discharging device in withdrawn or retracted position in which' it. is ready to art upon the ball when the locking lever is disengaged by the actuation ot' the tripping lever as the ball passes onto `the discharging device. The discharging device may also be made of two parallel rods g which may be l derstood that when the batter bats the ball upon the spring L will swing said dischargconnected by a bridge member g carrying the hook g2 which is normally engaged by the upper end of the locking lever.

The discharging device or kicker is pressed by a strong spring L the tenslon of which may be regulated by means of a set screw Z, see Fig. 3. This spring propels the discharging device toward the plate when the locking lever is swung to released position. The discharging device is reset, that is, it is swung back again into position to be engaged by the locking lever by a treadle Mlarranged in the plate B and connected by suitable lever m and chain or cable m to the upper end of said discharging device, said chain or cable having an elastic section or spring m2 which permits the forward movement of the discharging device, and the locking lever being normally pressed forward into lookin position by a spring 7c. -The upper end oi; the discharging device carries an adjustable member having a plurality of lingers N preferably hinged between the two rods and adj ustably held at the desired inclination by any suitable means, such as a clamping bolt n. By logsening said bolt,' the inclination of the lingers may be changed, and when tightened, said fingers are locked or clamped in the desired position, whereby the level at which the ball will pass over the plate may be regulated.

From the foregoing it will be readily uninto the inclosure and it strikes the incline plane C, said ball will travel up said incline and be delivered by the reverse curve c onto the funnel-shaped cover D which will direct passing carry the same around the looped track F and up onto the discharging device G. As the ball passs from said track to said discharging device, it will operate the tripping lever H which in turn will swing the locking lever K out of engagement with the hook g2 on the discharging device, wherei'ng device or lever forward, thereby pitching the ball toward the plate, as indicated by the broken line in Fig. l. After hitting the ball again and while it is following the course just described, the hatten-by simply pressing with his foot on the treadle M, may swing the discharging device back into locked engagement with the locking lever K b v means of the lever m and cable o1' chain vmf workingI in conjunction with the spring /t' which normally presses said locking lever i toward the discharging device, so that by the time the ball reaches said discharging device again it will bereset and ready for again propelling said ball toward the plate.

Referring to Figs. 5 and 6, in which a modified form of pitchingv device is illustrated,E designates the delivery tube'corresponding tol the tube'Fi already described. In this instance, the tube may be straight instead of inclined, and the ball may be delivered directly upon the pitching arm G. at least upon the adjustable lingers N of said arm, as indicated in Fig. 5, said fingers being 'adjustable in the same manner as already described in connection Awith the iingers N Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4. The fingers N may consist of two parallel portions joined at their outer ends by a cross piece n. A pair of guide arms O may extend upwardly substantially at right angles to the arm G in order to coperate with th'e lingers N in catching the ball when it drops from the tube,

The arm G is pivoted at g3 and has a branch g4 extending to the opposite side of the pivot. The free end of this branch is attached to a spring L for throwing the pitching arm when the latter is released, as

will be presently explained. A tur-n buckle Z may be provided for adjusting the tension of this spring. i

The arm G is normally held in operative positionby a trigger or locking lever K pressed into engagement with a hook g3 on said arm by a spring ls.- The end of said lever K projects up through the lingers N so as to be engaged by the `ball as the latter falls onto said lingers. The force of the ball striking said lever K is sulhcient to release it from the hook g3, whereupon the arm will swing upward and forward under the action of thel spring L', and throw or pitch the ball forward. In front of the.

arm there is arranged a lever P, pivoted at g3 beside the arm G. The free end of said lever P is connected to a spring R. In its forward movement, the arm G will 'strike said lever P and be arrestedthereby. The resetting is accomplished by means ofthe cable or chain ma connected at m4 to a branch p of the leverP whichbranch eX- tends at the other side of the pivot. The cable or chain m3 is actuated from the batters position, as already described in connection with the cable or chain m.

Having thus described I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters .Patent of the United States is:

l. A mechanical baseball pitcher comprising means for discharging the ball, of means for guiding a ball onto said discharging means, and tripping means-coperating with said discharging means adapted toebe automatically tripped by the ball as it passes to said discharging means.

2. In a mechanicalV baseball pitcher, the

combination of means for discharging the my invention, what as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. '5. v

ball` of means for guiding a ball onto said f discharging means,` tripp ating with said discharging means, adapted ing means .coperi l charging device.

to be automatically tripped as the ball passes o nto the discharging means, and means for resetting thedischarging means.

3. In a mechanical baseball pitcher, the combination of means for discharging the ball, of means for guiding a batted ball onto said discharging means, tripping means coperating with said discharging means, adapted to. be automatically tripped as the ball passes onto the discharging means, and

means for resetting the discharging means' from thebatters position.

4. The combination Wit h\ an inclined lplane having a reverse curve at'its upper end, of side members inclosing the space in front of said plane, a funnel shaped cover arranged over the inclosure and under the reverse curve of the inclined plane, a baseball discharging device, means or guiding a ball from the base of the funnel shaped cover onto said discharging device, and

means adapted tol automatically trip said discharging device as theball passes onto the same.

The combination with an inclined plane having a reverse curve at its upper end, of side members ipclosing the spacein front of said plane, a funnel shaped cover arranged over the inclosure and under the. reverse curve of the inclined plane, avbase'- ball, discharging device, means for guiding aball from the base ofthe funnel shaped cover onto said discharging device, means adapted to automatically trip said discharging device as the ball asses onto the. same, and means for resetting said discharging device from the batters position.

6. The combination with an inclined plane having a reverse curve at its upper end, of side members-inclosing the space in front of said plane, a funnelshaped cover arranged over the inclosure and under the reverse curve of the inclined plane, -a baseball discliarging device, a tube leading from the base of the funnel-shaped cover to apoint in front and to one side of said discharging device, a laterally offset track leading from4 the lower end of the tube to the discharging device andmeans adapted to. `automatically trip said discharging device as the ball passes onto the same.

7 The combination in a mechanical basball pitcher of a discharging. device, of means for guiding a batted ball onto said device, saidmeans including a U-shaped track forming a continuation of the discharging device, and a tripping device arranged on the track adjacent the discharging d e-l vice, whereby the ball, a's it passes onto tlie latter, will automatically release said-dis- 8. The combination in a mechanical'baseball pitcher ofa dischargingdevice, of means, for guidingabatted ball onto said device, said means including a U-shaped track formin a'continuation ofthe discharging device, and consisting of a pair of parallel rods connected together by a bridge member, and a tripping device pivoted on said bridge member and extending=near to the dischargingdevice, `whereby the ball, as it 'asses onto the latter, will automatically re ease said discharging device.

,9. The combination With a pivoted pitching arm,of fingers on the free end of said arm', and means for varying the inclination of said iingers for regulating the trajectory of 'the ball.

ling a batted ball onto said discharging means, tripping means adapted to release said discharging means as the ball passes onto the same, and means for resetting said discharging means including atreadle arranged inthe ground, and a iexible connectionv from said .lever to the discharging means.

j 12. The combination vyithapivoted pitching arm of a spring for actuating said arm, a locking lever adapted to interlock ivith said arm to normally hold the arm in'retracted position, and means for delivering a ball onto the arm so that it will' engage said C lever and automatically release the arm.

l .13. The combination with a pivoted pitching arm, of a spring for actuating said arm, adjustable fingers on the end of the arm, a locking lever projecting through said fingers and adapted to normally hold the arm in retracted position, and means for delivering a ball directly onto said fingers so as to engage said lever for automatically releasingy the arm.

' 14. The combination with a pivoted pitching arm, of a spring for actuating said arm, adjustable ingers on the end of the arm, a locking lever projecting through said fingers and adapted to normally hold' the. arm in retracted position, guides on the' arm lfor directing a ball onto said lever, and/ means for delivering a. ball onto said iingers, guides and lever.

15'. The combination with a pivoted'. pitchingarm, of a spring for actuatingsaid arm,ineans for normally locking saidiarml in retracted position, means for automatically releasing the arm when a ball is placed thereon, a 1 pivoted lever arranged and adapted to move in the path of the arm, means attached to said lever for resetting the arm, and resilient means connected to said pivoted member for returning the lever to normal position after the resetting operal tion.

In testimony whereof I have signed my 10 ALEXANDER MCMILLAN.

Witnesses: l

FORMAN L. AYRES, GROVER KELLY.

copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patemtn.

Washington, D. C. 

